


Fronting

by futuresteven (orphan_account)



Series: unity [9]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, connie is trying to be a good friend, steven is a fusion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-04-08
Packaged: 2021-03-02 04:42:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23539297
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/futuresteven
Summary: What happens when the roles are changed?
Relationships: Connie Maheswaran & Pink Steven Universe, Connie Maheswaran & Steven Universe, Crystal Gems & Pink Steven Universe, Crystal Gems & Steven Universe, Pink Steven Universe & Steven Universe, no ships - Relationship
Series: unity [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1671916
Comments: 10
Kudos: 137





	Fronting

For the first time in a while, Steven was at peace. Both Yin _and_ Yang were content with how things had been lately. No longer was the arguing in his head a usual thing, instead replaced by simple conversations. 

That didn’t mean he was the most stable he had ever been, though. Sometimes, he wouldn’t be a perfect balance between his two components. Instead, he’d lean more towards Yang or very rarely more towards Yin. Sometimes this balance was messed up so badly that he’d end up unfused.

Now was one of the times where he was dissociating. He felt as if he was disconnected from the world. The voices in his head grew louder and he tugged at his hair to try and make the pain not feel so bad. Just then did he realize that his gem was glowing. _No._ He refused to unfuse, not again. He clenched his eyes shut, trying to keep it together. Someone called out his name from afar, but he didn’t know who.

When his eyes opened again, this time as Yin, he wasn’t sure exactly how much time had passed. Confusion came over him and he glanced around, trying to remember where he was. The concerned expressions of his Connie and the gems seemed to say it all, though. They probably didn’t know what was happening.

More and more waves of puzzlement and confusion hit him by the second. Why _was_ he here? Amethyst tried to speak to him, but he wasn’t able to hear. Hesitantly, he looked down at his hands. They weren’t pink, nor were they glowing.

Dizziness hit him and he leaned back against the wall. The other gems stood up, stepping up to him with faces riddled with worry. Why were they reacting to what _he_ was doing? Why wasn’t he pink? The others crowded him and he cringed back, whispering, _“Yang?”_

“Yin!” That was the first clear word he had heard thus far. Probably because it came from his mind. The gems stepped even closer and he quickly ran upstairs, shutting and locking the door behind himself. 

“Yin,” He heard Yang say from within again, “Are you… _fronting?”_ The word made their body pause. Yin was quick to run to the mirror and, sure enough, he definitely saw himself in Steven. He felt his human half tense. _Yin only fronted when he needed to protect Yang or Steven. Why was he suddenly…?_

The door opened and the gems ran in. Hadn’t the door been locked? Yin didn’t have time to try and make sense of how they got in. Instead, he backed up against the wall, his eyes wide.

Something about Yin was that he held _much_ of Yang’s trauma. If you tried to touch Steven’s gem, it was likely Yin who made Steven push your hand away. If Steven feels threatened in a situation, it’s Yin who becomes cautious and self aware. Besides that, he rarely ever fronted. The moment when he was pushed to do so, he was already self defensive.

“Steven, is everything alright?” Pearl walked closer to him slowly. Yin summoned his shield and held it in front of himself. He could hear Yang and even _Steven_ telling him to calm down, but he wasn’t sure how to. The gem seemed surprised by Steven’s sudden move.

Garnet took a step forward and put a hand on Pearl’s shoulder. She squinted her eyes as she looked over the hybrid. Then, she leaned back with a stoic expression, “That isn’t Steven. Steven’s demeanor is much more relaxed.”

“Yi?” Amethyst questioned, looking over to the boy for confirmation. Yin’s shield lowered, but he began to radiate pink. Connie walked up to him now, making sure to keep some distance.

“Yin, why are you fronting…? Do you feel threatened?” Her voice was gentle. She was able to communicate with both halves well, of course Yin was able to hear her clearly.

He shook his head, paused, then just shrugged. Connie frowned, “Is it okay if we have a few minutes alone?” She asked the gems. They quickly agreed and stepped outside, closing the door behind them. 

The hybrid sat down against the window, staring blankly at the other. She was cautious when she took a seat next to him. He didn’t seem too threatened by her, a good sign, although he _was_ more tense than before.

She put a hand on his shoulder, and he stared at her with wide eyes. At that very moment, she knew just how terrified not only Yin was, but Steven and Yang as well. Technically, this was Steven’s body and his human half was behind the wheel most often. A new realization hit Connie at that very moment. _Yin was_ **_expected_ ** _to be scared and alert when he was fronting._

“Hey, it’s going to be okay,” She reassured, “No gems are coming back to take over Earth again. The Diamonds won’t ever even _consider_ harming you. You’re safe here. All of you. Steven, Yang, and Yin. You’re all free from that stage in your life now!”

It was so odd. This was Steven’s body, but everything about him screamed _Yin!_ From his facial expressions to his nervous ticks, anyone close to the three of them could just tell who was fronting. Usually Steven fronted, of course. He _was_ their mix. Connie wasn’t sure what he was like when their fusion was unstable like this. 

In response to her kind words, Yin shrugged and looked down at the floor. Needless to say, he seemed terrified. Unfusion was so different from this. When unfused, Steven no longer existed. He was able to hug Yang because it was just the two of them. They had their own separate consciences and thought processes.

However, _this_ has never happened before. This time, they were all trapped within one body. Their consciences were shared now. Steven still existed this time around, but he had somehow switched roles with Yin. This meant that the gem wasn’t allowed to make sure his ‘small family’ (as Yang called it) was okay physically.

Connie noticed his silence and began to run a hand through his hair affectionately. Although tense at first, the hybrid relaxed fairly quickly. That’s when he began to cry. The sight surprised the girl, who quickly asked if he was alright. Yin _never_ showed emotion. When the other looked up at her with a confused expression, something seemed to click.

“Yang and Steven are still there,” She observed, “Those tears… it must be Yang’s sadness, which branched onto Steven, right? You’re probably crying because that’s Steven’s body. He’s just reflecting what he’s feeling into his body.”

The gem paused for a moment, letting the information sink in. Then, he nodded. His facial expression continued to be blank, besides for the tears falling from his eyes. Connie watched as he lifted his shirt and poked his gem.

**_‘If I pull it out then we’ll unfuse, right?’_ **

_‘Unfuse? No! We don’t need to unfuse—’_

**_‘There’s no other way to fix this.’_ **

_‘Yin, pulling our gem out will hurt_ _all of us_ _.’_

Yin’s breath hitched. Connie was still saying something, although he wasn’t able to hear her. He felt Yang’s determination radiating throughout Steven’s body. Steven himself was fairly determined as well. 

Connie watched in horror as Yin grasped onto the gem planted on his naval. He began to pull it out, only uttering “I’m sorry, we’ll fix this soon, you’ll be safe,” under his breath. A bright light shone as the gem was torn out of its place.

Tears fell from Yang’s eyes the moment he became _himself_ again. He was quick to grab the gem on the ground next to him. At this point, he was already struggling to breath. Anxiety didn’t mix well with being forced to unfuse, after all.

He startled when Steven’s best friend spoke up, “Yang, are you okay? Is Yin okay? What just happened?” She sounded concerned, taking a seat next to him and eyeing the diamond in his hands.

“He just forced us to unfuse is all,” The words came out somber, but his expression lit up when his gem began to glow again. He placed it down and watched as it shifted from form to form. As soon as the most familiar form was on the ground, Yang threw himself at him.

Connie watched as Yin’s blank face turned into a more relieved one the moment Yang made contact with him. They held each other close and whispered something to each other. Moments later, Yin’s gem began to glow and Steven was formed again.

In the past when they fused again Steven would stand there, smiling and happy. However, he seemed much more serious this time. He wiped away any tears still on his face and shot a grin at Connie, “Thank you for helping. We’re all grateful.”

Before the girl could even reply, Steven had run upstairs. By the time Connie reached him, he was already warping away from Earth.

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoyed!  
> Also, do you guys want me to:  
> A) continue doing short stories  
> B) do a longer chapter book (along with occasional short stories!)  
> Vote in the comments below!  
> Longer chapters may require more time.


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